Agitator for comminuted-material dispensers



Fb. 19, 1935. GREEN 1,991,742

AGI'IATOR FOR COMMINUTED MATERIAL DISPENSERS Original Filed May 25, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet l s 26 /V @M2M L. B. GREEN Feb. 19, 1935,

AGITATOR FOR COMMINUTEP MATERIAL DISPENSERS Original Filed May 25, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 19, 1935. 1 B. GREEN 1,991,742

AGITATOR FOR COMMINUTED MATERIALA DISPENSERS original Filed May 25, 1932 5 sheets-sheet 3 Patented Feb. 19, 1935 Y i r v,UNITED VSTATES PATENT OFFICE AGITATOR'FOR ooMMrNUTED-MATERIAL msPENsERs l Lee B. Green, Lakewood, Ohio, assignor to The Globe Machine & Stamping Company, Cleveland, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio f Application May 25,1932, serial no. 613,496

l Renewed January 11, 1935 `9v Claims. (01.259-46) In Y one of its general objects, my invention such that this may be rubbed into a film or may relates to a rotatable agitator for use invconnecY havewadjacent particles packed by pressure to tion with pulverized or otherwise nely divided form larger particles: A, material, and aims to provide an agitator which (l) If the agitator has any part rubbing against will be highly eiective in stirring up the mathebore ofthe hopper, this may also cause alm 5 terial and which can readily be detached'from of compressed or packed material to adhere to the material container in which it is used.` the said bore, and With a gradual neleaSe in the Moreover, v,my invention relates toan agitator thickness of this lm, the agitator may jam in the particularly suited for :use in a dispenser, and in hoppen;

10 this aspect aims to providean agitator construc- (2)v If any partei the agitator' Slides 1113011 e 10 tion and mounting which will enable the agitator part of the dispensing member during the rotato insure an unusually high uniformity in the tional movement of this member, that sliding is quantity of the material discharged by each acapt to rub a film of the material on. the corre tuation of the dispenser, which will eiiectively sponding portion or portions of thedispensing agitate the material fed to themeasuring memmember; and when this rubbing occurs within 15 ber of the dispenser without disturbing the said theimeasuring of pocketV of that member, 'the uniformity by a packing of the Vmaterial, and measuring capacity of the pocket is correspond- Which will avoid a jamming of the material bek ingly variedl as the rubbed film increases inv tween the said measuring member and the disthickness, thereby also producing irregularitie penser part within Which that member moves. in the dispensed quantities of material.. 20

Furthermore, my invention relates tomeans A(3) ,If the rotatable dispensing member'has for intermittently rotating an agitator, and aims a generally cylindrical exterior tting a correto provide a simple and effective agitator-actu-Y spondingbore in .the body vof the dispenser, the ating mechanism for this purpose, which mecha rubbing of material between thiscylindrical ex Y nism can readily be connected to the oscillable terior and thersaid bore mayalso cause the dis-` 2.5 operating member of a dispenser and disconpensing member'to'jam so thatthe customary nected from thatmember to permit a removal of retracting spring Will no longer return the said the agitator. member to its normal positionV after the actuatn a further aspect, my invention relates to a ing pressure is relaxed, thereby causing the measconstruction of cooperating features of a rotat` uring pocket to receive less than the intended 30V able agitator and ofthe material-storing chamquantity of the material. Andwhen this jam-Y ber in which the agitator operates, and in `this ming action increases, the dispenser may evenV aspect aims to provide a novel shape and disposibecome entirely inoperative. vI tion of the material-stirring bars of the agitator (4) If the agitatoris moved during the initial .3 with respect to the interior of the saidchamber, part of the actuation of the dispensing member, v together with an agitator construction and namely While the outlet of the hopper still-opens mounting which will insure a proper positioning into the measuring4 pocket, the agitator. may of the agitator Without requiring extensivemamove part of the material in this pocketeither chining, which will permit an easy removingand;4 by tending to lift material out of the pocket, or :io replacing of the agitator, and which will aiiord av by more tightly packing material within the pockreadily releasable driving connection between the et-thereby varying the actually measured quanagitator and its shaft. Y tity of material. In practice,- Vthe extent 'of this More particularly, my invention relates to an variation may also depend on the speed with Aagitator for use in a dispenser in which'the ma- Which .the mechanism is actuated-thereby furi5 terial is fed by gravity from a hopper into the ther disturbing the desired kuniformity of the 45 measuring pocket of a rotatable dispensing memdispensing. I ber, which dispensing. member is moved rota- (5) During the return movement of thev distionally in one direction during the dispensing pensing member, any stationary agitator bars operation and thereafter returned to its normal disposed near the pocket in this member will position, a stand-supported dispenser of this geninterfere with thespeedy and complete filling of 50 eral type being shown in my copending applicathis pocket, and an incomplete filling ofthat OD #594,624,.11ed February 23, 1922. pocket will also occur if -such agitatorbars are With dispensers of this class, the following obnot moved inthe proper direction during the lljections and diicultieshave been encountered, ing of the pocket.

particularly when the nature of thernaterial is l (6) When agitator bars of the heretofore used 55 type extend upwardly beyond a horizontal barcarrying shaft, the rotation of this shaft will cause such upwardly positioned bars to pack material above them in an arched formation in which it then will not continue to feed down properly..

(7) If tools are required for detaching the agitator to permit the needed occasional cleaning of the hopper, this requirement not only makes the cleaning more difficult, but also often causes the user to neglect such cleaning entirely.

My present invention aims to overcome alloi these difliculties and objections, andalso aims to provide an agitator-operatingmechanism which will be highly effective and which -will readily enable portions of this mechanism to be disconnected to permit the removing ofthe measuring member of the dispenser.

Illustrative of my invention and of further ob` jects,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a standsupported dispenser embodying my invention, with the spring-retracted actuating lever in its normal raised position.

Fig. 2 is an elevation of the same parts, taken at the end of the actuating movement of the said lever.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation, taken from the line 3 3 of Fig. 1 and showing the connections between the actuating lever and the I shaft ofthe agitator.

`Fig. 4 is a vertical section taken along the line 4-4-4 of Fig. 1, including higher parts of both the inverted'material container and the air-excludingcover which houses this container.

Fig; 5 is an enlargement of a part of Fig. l', with the outer half of the forked pawl-supporting lever omitted.

Fig. 6 'is a similarly enlarged fragmentary plan View, taken from the line 6---6ofv Fig. 1.r

Fig. 7 is an enlarged and fragmentary'vertical section taken along the line 7 7 of Fig. 4, showing'v the mounting of the agitator bars at one end ofY these bars, and also showing the splined connection between the two parts of the tubev whichhouses the major portion of the agitator shaft.

- Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken along the line' supporting arms of the agitator.

Fig. l0. isan 4enlargement of a portion of Fig. 4, showing the clearance between 4the dispensing cylinder 'and the bore in which lthis cylinder is disposed. i

Fig. 1.1 isf a fragmentary horizontal sectionA taken: along the; line 11-11 of Fig. 8, showing the'connectingof the actuating arm to the retrac'ting spring and tothe gate-actuating arm.

after the agitator shaft has rotated one-twelfth Y I dispenser includes a hopper 1 having at its lower end a contracted outlet 2 which leads to the bore of a: discharge chute. This chute comprises a downwardly open discharge spout 3 connected to the hopper by a body portion 4 which has a Vhorizontal cylindrical bore 9 partly lintercepting the alined bores of both the hopper outlet and the spout 3.

The upper end of the hopper is desirablyY formed (as described more in detail in my copending application) so as to presentptwo concentric and upright tubular webs 5 and 6 of such exterior diameter that the inner web 5 will nt snugly intothe usual top opening of a material container 7 (such as a commercial type of coffee can) when this container is inverted, while the outer web 6 fits snugly into a cover 8 which hoods over this container to enhance the exclusion of air from the latter. 4

Disposed within the horizontal bore 9 and desirably shorter thanthat bore is a'dispensing member l0 having its generally cylindrical exterior surface interrupted by a recess which nor-l mally opens upwardly andwhich forms the measuringpocket of the dispensing member. The end walls 11 of this pocket desirably diverge upwardly so that the spread of their normally upper ends correspondto the length of the hopperoutlet 2, as shown in Fig. 4. However, the side wallsv 11 A of the pocket preferably diverge so that the spread of their outer or normally upper ends is somewhat greater than the'width of the hopper outlet, as shown in Fig. 8,'thereby permitting the hopper outlet to open fully into the said pocket even when the return movement of the dispensing member is halted in a position differing somewhat in either direction (laterally of Fig. 8) from the medial position there shown. e e y Pivoted to the dispenser body, as on a horizontal pin 12 (Fig. 8), is a spout-closing gate lrwhich has a compressible facing 14 normally sealing thev lower end of the spout, and which gate is swung back and forth conjointly with the reciprocating rotational movements of the dispensing member.

As here shown, the connections for this purpose '(similar to those disclosed in my said copending application) include a gate actuating arm 56' fast on one'end of a rock-shaft 17, to theV other end of which rock-shaft the actuating arm 18 is fastened. This rock-shaft is journaled in ay hollow two-part sidey member detachably secured to the dispenser body 1, the inward part 19 formjv ing a closure for one end of the horizontal bore 9, the other end of which bore is closedby a solid body sidek'portion 2 A.

A screw 20 Vextending through this body side portion 2 A has its innerpart cylindrical andV ro- Y tatably socketed in an axial bore 24 in the adjacent end portion of the dispensing member 10; and this screw also has its tip 20 A engaging the inner end of the socketing bore so as to space the said endrportion of the dispensing member slightly `from the body side 2 A, to eliminaterfriction between these parts. Extending rotatably through the inward part 19 of the said side member'and also journaled in the outer part 19 A of the same member is a pinion shaft 2l carrying an integral pinion 22 which is vfreely spaced from both of the yparts 19 and 19 A and which pinion intermeshes with a gear segment 23 fastened to the rock-shaft 16.V 1 J This pinion shaft has its inner end 21 A of a polygonal section vfitting the section of the inward part of an axial bore 25 in the adjacent end of the dispensing member, so that the pinion shaft and the screw 20 conjointly form stub shafts onV which the generally cylindrical dispensing member is journaled. By thus journaling that member independently of the wall of the bore 9 within which this member is disposed, I am able to provide a slight clearance 26 between the peripheral surface portion of the dispensing member and the body part, as shown on an enlarged scale in Fig. 10. Y Thisclearance Vnot only greatlyv reduces the friction in comparison with whatit would be if the dispensing member were journaled in this bore inthe heretofore customarymannenzbut also avoids the forcible rubbing of the dispensable material into a film upon the said bore 9. Consequently, by providing this clearance-desirably to an extent slightly larger than the maximum size of the particles of the finely divided kmaterial-I overcome the jamming heretofore encountered when dispensers of this class have been used with materials which can be rubbedinto lms.

The two parts of the hollow side member also i house a coiled spring 27 which normally holds the rock-shaft 17 in the position rin'which the actuating arm 16 is raised and in whichV the .gate arm 56 has its lower end relatively near the discharge end of the spout 3, this lower gate arm end having a pin 28moving in a slot 29 in the gate so as to cause movements of the-gate arm to open and close the gate as more fully described in my said-copendingapplication.

Supportedwithin the hopper 1 and rotatable about a horizontal axis is VVan agitator which includes a plurality of generally arcuate agitator bars 30 disposed in planes radial kof the axis'of the said axis. The adjacent end portions of these agitator bars are socketed respectively in two hubs 3l and 32, both of which hubs are fastened (as by solder S) to a tube 33 through which the agitator shaft 34 extends. Each agitator bar preferably is crimped as Yshown in Figs. 4 and 8, with all crimped portions of each bar extending in a common plane radially of the axis of the agitator, and with the outer bends of the crimps disposed in a common spherical surface 31 (Fig. 4) of a slightly smaller radius than that of the hemispherical interior of the part of the hopper below the axis of the agitator.

, Moreover, the agitator bars preferably have the crimps in the consecutive bars in relatively staggered relation, as shown in Fig. 4, so vthat they will cut along relatively different linesV supporting fork composed of two interwelded through the material in the hopper. By employing this staggered arrangement, I avoid Vhaving the agitator bars cooperate in packing the material along streak lines and hence am able to dispose the bars much closer to the said interior of the lower part of the hopper than would be possible with uncrimped arcuate bars. Moreover the crimping causes the consecutive agitator bars to pass through' different portions of the material, so that these bars shift the material back and forth longitudinally of the axis' of the agitator in addition to lifting and dropping portions of the materiaL. therebyV greatly increasing the effectiveness with which the material is agitated'v both within the hopper and in the upper portion of the hopper outlet 2. Indeed,

I have found it feasibleto space the outer bends of theY crimped bars from `the adjacent interior wall of the, lower portion of the hopper by distances Aonly slightly greater than the maximum size of ,the-particles of the material which is to be dispensed, while retaining this high effectiveness of the agitator.

The agitator shaft 34 has its inner end extending beyond the hopper bore into a journaling bore 35 in the hopper, while the other end of this shaftr has a ratchet wheel 36 fastened to it and spaced slightly inward from its extreme tip. Sleeved upon and fastened to the agitator shaft, as by a pin 37 (Fig. 9), is a second tube`38 which is journaledin the opposite side of the hopper from the said bore 35, which second tube has the major portion of its inner 'end disposed either flushwith, or-slightly outward of, `the interior 1 A of the hopper. ,This second tube has a finger 39 extending slidably into an end notch 40 in the hub-connecting tube 33 of the agitator to afford a splined connection betweenthe two tubes in the assembled dispenser, so that a rotation of this second tube will also rotate the agitator.

Interposed between the ratchet wheel and the outer endof a hub 57 (which `is cast on the dispenser -body and in which the said second tube 38 is journaled) is a latching member 58 of polygonal contour, which member is fastened to the said tube and-hence also fast with respect to the shaft'34. As here shown, this latching member has its peripheral surface formed as a portion of a hexagonalV pyramid tapering away from the dispenser body, and is initially punched with an axial bore slidablyfitting the' diametrically contracted outer end portion 38 B of the said second tube, as also with two diametrically opposite recesses in to which portions 38 A of the extreme outer end of this .tube are pressed after the latching member 58 has been slid against the shoulder 38 CV at Vjuncture ofthe smaller and larger diametered'portions of the said tube. l

continually pressing against the frusto-pyramidal periphery of this-latching member 58 is a spring 59,V which is fastened (as by a screw 69) to the lhub 57 on the dispenser body. VThis spring continually tends to hold the latching member, and -hence also the agitator shaft 34, against rotation, and snaps over the corners of this memberat each one-sixth rotation of the agitator shaft. Moreover, withY the peripheral surface of the latching member thustapered, the spring also continually presses that member (together with the shaft and the said second tube 38) inwardly of the dispenser so as to hold that tube in splined connection of the bar-carrying tube 33 of the agitator, and likewise holds the inner .end ofthe agitator shaft in itsjournal `35.

Straddling the ratchet wheel 36 is a springparts 41 and 42, one of which is shown separately in Fig. 12 and each of which has a bore 43 through which a part of the agitator `shaft extends, each of these fork parts also havinga slot 44. Tightly socketed in the alined slots in these two fork parts is one end of a spring 46 which has its other end Yportion continually bearing against a pawl 47,' the pawl being pivoted' on a pin 48 extending through alined bores 49 in the `said fork parts 41 and 42. VThis pawl has a toothed portion v47 A continually pressed'by the spring 46Y against the ratchet wheel 36 and also has astop arm`50 disposed for engaging the ratchet wheel to limit the movement ofthe pawlabout the said pivoting pin 48.

The pawl 47 also has an arm 47 B extending` in the opposite direction (with respect to the pivoting pin) from both the toothed pawl portion 47 A and th-e stop arm 56, and the arm 47 B is connected by a link pin 52 (which extends parallel to the'axes of the pawl-pivoting pin and of the shaft 17 of the actuating arm 16) through the actuating arm. This link preferably consists of two generally parallel parts, one of which is resilient to permit a manual disconnection of the link from one of the elements between which it is interposed. Y

As here shown, the outward part 51 isV a singlepiece rigid bar pivoted at its ends respectively to the outward ends of the pin 49 associated with the pawl and of the pin 52 which extends through the actuating arm of the dispenser. The inward link part (as shown in Figs. 3 Vand 6) comprises a rigid upper portion 53 pivoted to the pawl pin 49 and securedato the outer link part 51 by a rivet 55 conjointly with the upper end of a resilient link part portion 54 which has the inner end 52 A of the pin 52 on the actuating arm journaled in its lower end. When this portion 54 is flexed away from the corresponding portion of the outer link part 51 (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3) the two-part link can be snapped off the pin on the actuating arm; thereby permitting the actuator shaft, ratchet wheel, pawl, and the said link (together with the said second tube 38 on the actuator shaft) to be detached as a unit from the dispenser without detaching any other parts.

Since the detaching of this unitslides the agitator shaft out oi the agitator, the latter can' then be lifted out for cleaningv both the agitator and the hopper. However, when the said twopart link is in its normal position, it prevents the agitator shaftroin sliding toward the sideat which the ratchet and pawl are disposed, thereby holding the tubes 33 and 38 interlocked without requiring any auxiliary means for that purpose.

The ratchet wheel 36 has its teeth directed so that the teeth ends will be engaged by the pawl when the pawl is rocked about the axis of that wheel in the direction which is clockwise in Figs. 1 and 5, namely the direction in which an upward movement of the said two-part link will rock the pawl. And, since the spring 46 continually resists relative rotation of the pawl and the forked*y pawl-carrier, this upward movement of the-said link will cause the pawl to engage a ratchet tooth (as in Fig. 5) for rotating the latter.

When the actuating arm 16 is depressedl so as' toY draw the link 51 downward, this link ywill rock the pawl in a direction which is counterclockwise in Fig. 5,V and the friction of the pawl against the ratchet wheel 36 may tend to rotate that wheel in the same direction, but the engagement of the latching spring 59 with the polygonal ylatching member prevents such rotation of the agitator shaft and of the pawl fastened to the latter. Consequently, the agitator remains stationary during the dispensing movement of the actuating arm; andthe spring 46 permits the p-awl to rock about its pivot pin 48,`

so'that the toothed pawl part 47 A can snap over consecutive teeth of the ratchet Wheel. Y

Y However, during the upwardl or return movement or" the actuating arm 16, this arm raises the link V5l so Aas to force ther pawl into engagement with a tooth of the ratchet wheel 36 (as shown in Figs. v1 and5), thereby positively rotating the ratchet wheel in a direction-.which is counterclockwise in Fig. 5 but clockwise in Figs. 8,l 1'6` and 17. Consequently, `the agitator arms stir up the materialY in the hopper during 'the initial portion of the return movement of the dispensing member 10.

Moreover,` the dispensing member and the agitator rotate in relatively opposite directions, so asto cause `the upward portion of the dispensing member to move in the same general direction as the lowermost agitator bars, which is highly important for this reason: Y

When the dispensing member rotates from 'its discharge positionlin which the measuring pocket 11 faces downward as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 17), this member presents a cylindrical surface toward the hopper until the saii pocket begins to open toward the hopper. But, as shown in Fig. 16, this opening is initially so small that the materiall would not readily fill the lpocket snugly in the short time required for completing the return rotational movement of themeasuring member.

However, with the lowermost agitator bar moving from the position A in Fig. 16 to' they position B during. the early part of the opening" of the measuring pocket toward the hopper, this bar pushes material ahead of'it; and while the same :bar is moving further yto the position C in Fig. 17, the next bar D pushes more of the material in the lower portion of the hopper into thehopper outlet 2 and hence into the measuring' pocket. As the result, my simple and automatic provisions enable me to obtain a complete and highly uniformlling of the measuring pocket of the dispenser .with each actuation, even when the retracting spring 27 is so powerful as to eiiect the return movement ofthe dispensingk member in a quite short time.v

If the agitator bars were merely bent to a semi-l circular shape .without 'being crimped, they would bea similar arched-bottom packing of the ma-v terial in the container, but with grooves formedY in` this bottom. However, with the crimping staggered in each two consecutive bars, the.-

grooves which onebar Ywould thus tend to form will cut, across ridges left by the preceding bars; so that any material which `tends to pack in the container will be detached and shifted longi- Y tudin-ally of the agitator shaft during theY rotation of the agitator. Consequently, my agitator effectively loosens as well as agitates the material, in addition to thereafter insuring a highl uniformity in the quantity of material dispensed in successive actuations of the dispenser.

However, while I have heretofore described my .A invention in connection with a particular embodiment, I do not wish to be limited'to Ythe de-1Y tails of the construction and arrangement thusr disclosed,A since many changes might be. made without departingA eitherfrom the spirit of my' invention or from the appended claims. Nor do I wish to be limited to the conjoint use of the various novel features here disclosed.

I claimv as my invention: y I 1. Means for agitating material within a material container which'has the lower portion of its interior formed as part'of a surface of revolu-V supported by and rotatable with the said shaft, and a plurality of generally arcuate actuator bars each spanning the said hubs and generally parallel to the said surface and each extending in a different plane diametric of the shaft, each of the said bars being crimped to present ridges, all portions of each bar lying substantially in such a plane and the crimps in the consecutive bars being in relatively staggered relation.

2. A rotatable agitator comprising two spaced hubs having a common axis, each hub having bores extending radially into it, and arcuate agitator bars spanning the two hubs, each bar having its end portions respectively socketed in a bore in one and the other of the hubs and having its intervening portion arched away from the spacer member; a tube coaxial with and fastened to both hubs, a shaft normally extending through the two hubs coaxially with the hubs, and means associated with the shaft for interlocking the shaft with the said tube and agitator bar assemblage, the said means being releasable by sliding the shaft in one direction with respect to the said hubs.

3. A rotatable agitator comprising a tube, a plurality of arcuate agitator bars ofsubstantially uniform spread and general shape each secured at its ends to the said tube, the said bars being disposed in different planes radial of the tube; a shaft normally extending slidably through the said tube, and a member fastupon the shaft and norm-ally abutting against one end of the tube; the tube and the said member having normally interloclred formations whereby rotation of the said member will also rotate the tube, the said formations being disengaged when the shaft is slid with respect to the tube in one direction.

4. Means for agitating material within a dispenser which includes a material-storinghopper having an outlet at its bottom and having an upwardly widening hopper bore above the said outlet, comprising a shaft extending across the said hopper bore transverse of the axis of the said outlet, an agitator bar assemblage disposed within the said bore and supported by the shaft coaxial with the shaft, and means normally latching the agitator against rotation upon the shaft, the said latching means being released by sliding the shaft With respect to the agitator in one direction.

5. Material agitating means as per claim 4, including mechanism disposed exteriorly of the dispenser for rotating the shaft, the said mechanism including a portion normally preventing a sliding of the shaft inthe said latch-releasing direction.

6. An agitator for use in a dispenser body having an outlet at its bottom and an'upwardly Widening hopper bore above the said outlet, comprising a shaft rotatably journaled in the hopper and extending across the hopper at higher elevation than the hopper outlet; a tube rotatably sleeved on the shaft, two hubs fast upon the tube and spaced longitudinally of the tube, Vand a plurality of generally arcuate agitator arms each extending in a plane radial of the tube and each havingv its ends respectively fastened-to the two hubs; the said tube, hubs andarms being disposed entirely Within the said hopper bore; and

' a second tube fast upon the shaft and normally splined to the aforesaidV tube, the second tube being journaled in the body of the hopper.

7. An agitator as per claim 3, including spring means normally pressing the said member against the tube to maintain the said interlocking, the said spring means being arranged to permit the disengaging of the said formations when the shaft is forcibly slid in the said one direction.

8. Means for agitating material Within a dispenser, comprising an agitator disposed within the dispenser, an agitator-rotating shaft extending into the dispenser, an oscillable actuating member, connections between the said member and the shaft whereby a movement of the said member in one direction rotates the shaft, and means operatively interposed between the dispenser and the shaft for latching theshaft against rotation during the movement of the said member in the opposite direction; the said means comprising a member polygonally exterior in section and fast upon and coaxial with the shaft, and a spring fastened to the dispenser and bearing against the polygonal exterior flaring toward the dispenser so that the spring continually tends to slide the said shaft inwardly of the dispenser.

9. Means for agitating comminuted material within a container which has the lower` portion of its interior formed as an upwardly open Vherrlispherical surface, comprising a rigid rotatable tubular member supported by the container and extending across the interior of the container diametric of the said surface; and a plurality of generally arcuate actuator bars each spanning and respectively fastened to the two opposite end 

